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Aviation History

Early Aviation History

For years, man had dreamed of flying and often attempted it observing the flight of birds for inspiration. But, it took two bicycle shop owners to find the missing pieces to enable sustained, controlled flight.

100 years after Lewis & Clark, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their famous flight at Kittyhawk, NC and sparked the beginning of the aviation industry.

Aviation Pioneers

The Wright Brothers
Learn about the Wright Brothers. See their house and shop as well as their famous flight in Kitty Hawk, NC. This film also shows the progression of aviation in the U.S. through the first half of the 20th century.

The Wright Brothers Story
A comprehensive telling of the life story of the Wright Brothers and their company from their early days until their deaths.

Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk I was at Kitty Hawk
A man who was present at the famous 1903 Wright Brothers flight at Kitty Hawk, NC tells his story and tells what he saw.

Charles Lindbergh's Transatlantic Flight
This is a silent newsreel of Charles A. Lindbergh's transatlantic solo flight from New York to Paris. Lindbergh became an international hero.

Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart Earhart disappeared during her flight to Howland Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean - July 2, 1937. There has been much speculation about her disappearance.

Amelia Earhart Howard Hughes Plane Crash
Howard Hughes crashes his experimental plane into a house, almost totally demolishing the house.

General Hap Arnold
Henry "Hap" Arnold was a 5-star General of the Air Force and aviation pioneer.

Early Aviation/WWI

Early Aviation History
Aviation in the U.S from after the Wright brothers shows the progression of aviation in the U.S. through the first half of the 20th century.

Air Force The Airforce Story: The Beginning
The history of military aviation is told, beginning with balloons in the civil war through the real start of controlled flight with the Wright Brother's flyer up through the careers of Hap Arnold and Billy Mitchell.

Aviation: The World Through Stamps
This is an odd, yet interesting mix: Great moments in aviation history as told through postage stamps.

WWI Pioneers in Naval Aviation: WWI
Development of Naval aviation durign World War I. Pioneers in Naval aviation discuss wartime experiences. This documentary has a lot of great WWI footage.

Flying Machines: Hair-Raising Moments
Those daring young men in their flying machines attempt death-defying, barnstorming stunts. So, come Joesephine in my flying machine.

Airships

Hindenburg Disaster Onsite Coverage
Both newsreel cameras and a radio reporter using new, state-of-the-art recording equipment were on the scene to chronicle the airship's landing. The silent film footage, and radio report are combined bringing us one of the...

Airships
From the 1930s, highlights training facilities for lighter-than-air aircraft in the U.S. Air Service.

More: Hindenburg and Airships

World War II Aviation

B-17: The Flying Fortress
A short documentary which covers the famed B-17 in missions over Europe in 1942.

The Memphis Belle
A William Wyler color documentary of the last mission of B-17: Memphis Belle. It chronicles their bombing raids over Wilhelmshafen, Germany.

The Tuskegee Airmen
During World War II in a segregated military, the Tuskegee Airmen distinquished themselves among aviators. These African-American aviators flew as fighter escort and protection on bombing runs. Their record...

The H-4 Hercules - "Spruce Goose"
This short newsreel clip shows the Howard Huges' H-4 Hercules in production. Eventually, the H-4 would be coined the "Spruce Goose" being made of wood and resin. It is the largest airplane ever built.

Helicopter

The Helicopter
1950s look at the Helicopter. The helicopter was becoming more excepted and utilized. This documentary even projected it would be nearly as common as the automobile in its usage.